Idsall School

Work Experience

It is widely known that the transition from school to work can be a difficult time for young people and that it is educationally desirable that pupils obtain a wide understanding of the World of Work. The Government recommends that all pupils should have a Work Experience placement during KS4. At the end of Year 10, each pupil at Idsall School is given the opportunity to experience a working environment. The aim of such a programme is to prepare the pupils for the opportunities, responsibilities and experience of adult working life and to offer the following benefits:

Development of personal skills and confidence such as: personal organisation; time-keeping; initiative; working with others and following instructions.

Insight into Career opportunities and the requirements of particular job sectors.

Development of knowledge of economic and industrial matters.

Insight into the disciplines and routines of the workplace.

We actively encourage our students to find their own placements with the exception of school placements, and help, advice and support is provided with this process. Often friends, family, neighbours or employers of parents/carers can be a great source of information. For those students who require further help, we maintain a database of employers who have been happy to take on our students in previous years. All placements are checked out for Health, Safety and relevant insurance coverage by the Education Business Links Service whom we have worked closely with for a number of years. Students will not be allowed to go on a placement until it has been approved, it is therefore essential that they start looking early, especially as some of the most popular ones fill up very quickly.

In the current economic climate, it is becoming increasingly difficult to secure places, and students may not be given their first or even second preference. We do appreciate any contacts that parents may have for their own child or another student. Please could you give the school's Work Experience Coordinator, Ms Lynda Pascoe the details by clicking this link-Work Experience Application Form so that she can complete paperwork and have the placement Health and Safety checked.

If your child would like to write to a company to request a placement, please could they let Ms Pascoe know, as other students may also be applying, as well as keeping us informed of the progress you are making if you are trying to secure a placement somewhere.

Our students normally gain a great deal from their placement and for many it helps them decide a career path and even if this is not the case it gives everyone a taste of what the world of work entails. In recent years some of our students have even been offered Saturday jobs by their work experience employer.

Idsall School is a charity and a company limited by guarantee, registered in England and Wales with company number 08976748 whose registered office is at Idsall School, Coppice Green Lane, Shifnal, Shropshire, TF11 8PD